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by Minerva Waters
Mary Magdalene and Many Others, by Carla Ricci and translated by Paul Burns (Fortress Press, 1994)
Based on Luke 8:1-3, the author examines the nature of Jesus'
relationship with the women who accompanied him on his travels.
The author explores the role of women in that time and place in
an attempt to discern why Jesus' female disciples were all but
written out of the gospels. Based on her research, she discusses
the ways in which Jesus' treatment of women was an anomoly in
comparison to the norms of that period, particularly in his dealings
with the woman suffering from a hemorrage of blood (a taboo
mentioned in Leviticus) and the women who annointed his feet
(having a woman cleanse a man's feet during a meal being a
cultural taboo).
In chapter five, the author focuses on both the women priveleged
to actually be named (Mary Magdalene, Joanna the wife of Herod's
steward, and Suzanna) and the 'many others' who followed Jesus.
Of particular interest is how the author devotes a large section
of the chapter to Mary Magdalene and how came to occupy the first
place among the listings of women. She is important not only in
that she is often grouped with Jesus' relatives, but she is also
the first to whom Jesus appeared when he rose from the dead, charging
her to go forth and spread the news.
This is a very insightful book. My one complaint is that most of
the works cited (and those listed in the bibliography) are either
in French or Italian, making it all but impossible to obtain copies
to read.
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